My standard loads for a very long time Was 7 gr. of Unique in the .45ACP and .357, 9 gr in the .45Colt and .44 Mag.

Recently I have been using 5 gr. in the 9mm.

10 gr. in the .30-06 with cast bullets, for casual target shooting.

I started trying some of the other powders when I could not find Unique locally.

Hodgdon Universal is pretty close to Unique.

The 7 grn/.356 loading sure accounted for a lot of small game in Alaska. There were times during the height of the snow shoe rabbit cycle, that you could go out into the willow thickets with your trusty side arm and harvest a 1/2 dozen rabbits in a matter of minutes. You had to be a bit more careful shooting grouse with that load or you just had a big hole surrounded by feathers.

In areas where I was reasonably certain that I was not going to run into a bear, standard .38 wadcutter loads were better for small game.

The 7 grn load has worked well on bears for me, 15-16 gr, of 2400 is probably a better choice for the same weight bullet.

I have gone away from 2400 in .357, as now I mostly load mid-range
loads using W231 or Unique. I save the 2400 for .44 Magnum and for
the occasional.45 Colt "Ruger only" load. I always found that 2400
needs a heavy crimp or else I would get a lot of unburned powder.

HP38/W231 is a good powder for mid-range .357 Magnum. It meters
well in my Dillon and RCBS powder measures. In a .357 Magnum case
I have used from 4.5 to 5.5 with just about any style 158 grain cast or
plated bullet. I settled with the 5 grain load. Nice load - accurate, no
leading with hard cast, and it feels like a .38 Special +P.

When I went above 5.5 grains, I got some leading and
accuracy degraded. There are some internet resources that show well
above the 5.5 grains. My suggestion is if you want higher velocities
than mid-range, pick a more appropriate powder.

In a .38 Special case, with the above bullets, I use between 3.5 and 4
grains of HP38/W231. I just finished a couple hundred plated HBWC
bullets. I used 3.5 grains of W231 in a .38 Special case. Nice load that
shot well in my S&W J frame airweight and my Charter Arms Off Duty.

I have been shooting more 9mm and .45ACP lately, those guns are just more convenient to carry. Yesterday I felt the need to go out and use some some old .357 loads.

High end 170 (358429) bullet loads.. There was this chunk of basalt about the size of a grapefruit, that I shoot at occasionally, I had chipped some pieces off of it with the 9, it is my small game 25 yard simulation target, one well placed shot with the .357 and I could not find a piece bigger than my thumb.

Those are equivalent to the original factory spec. for the .38-44, that was 1100 fps with a 158 grn bullet. They reduced that load toward the end of the time that cartridge was available to around 1050.

I get about that same velocity (1100), with the 170 grn bullet in a 4" barrel, S&W. A bit faster in my Ruger, and I suspect that I may have a tight throat that accounts for that, or some cases that need trimming.

With the right iteration of the 358429 bullet, you can duplicate .357 loads using .38 spl cases.

In most of the manuals the recommendation is that you crimp over the front driving band in .357 cases, with .38 brass, a crimp at the crimp groove gives the same case volume.

And using .38 brass in a .357 means you never have to worry about trimming your cases.

The current SAMMI upper pressure for the .357 is 35,000 psi. The original factory loadings for the .357 were in the 45K range, ands produced just over 1500 fps. with a 158 grn. bullet.

I have loads using Hodgdon Lil' Gun powder that will exceed 1400 fps with a 358429 bullet in a 4" 357 and show none of the typical signs of over pressure, hard extraction being the most obvious.

Some years ago I was fascinated with the .38-44 loads based on
performance and nostalgic reasons. I used 2400 and the 358429 bullet
in once fired Federal .38 Special + P cases. I fired these loads in my
medium to heavy framed .357 Magnum revolvers with good results. I
haven't fired .38-44 loads in years, but probably wouldn't go over 11.5
grains of 2400 now.

I've had good luck with 12 grains 2400 and a 158 grain cast bullet in a .38 special case. Never run it over my Chrony.

I've dune a little over 1000 with the 358429 and 6.5 grains unique out of my 4" S&W, over my chrony. Should read around 1050 with 7 grains. I assume no two Chronys read the same so that is a ball park number.

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